OJ (Oscar Jonesy)

Western lowland gorillas face extinction in the wild, with fewer than 100,000 remaining across their African range. OJ was born at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to parents Oscar and Jonesie II, beginning a life that would span multiple decades and institutions across the United States.

His early years were spent at his birthplace before moving to San Francisco Zoological Society in late 1982. After nearly five years on the West Coast, he transferred to Buffalo Zoo in 1987, where he would spend the longest portion of his life — over seventeen years in western New York.

In 2004, he returned to San Francisco Zoo, completing a circle that brought him back to California. He lived there for more than twenty years until his death in February 2025. His subspecies, Gorilla gorilla gorilla, remains critically endangered according to the IUCN, making every individual in managed care part of crucial conservation efforts.

Throughout his transfers between four institutions, OJ was part of the broader network of zoos working to maintain genetic diversity in captive gorilla populations. He passed away at San Francisco Zoo on February 8, 2025, ending a life that witnessed decades of changes in gorilla care and conservation.